Rock face brick cleaning rake

ABSTRACT

A rake for cleaning brick joints consisting of a tubular crossbar attached to a handle nonperpendicularly thereto so that the ends of the crossbar are offset relative to each other. Rollers are journaled to the ends of the crossbar at a spacing equal to twice the distance between brick joints, the rollers being parallel to the handle. A depending raking member is adjustably clamped to the midportion of the crossbar so as to engage in a brick joint while the rollers ride in the two outwardly adjacent parallel brick joints.

United States Patent Miller [54] ROCK FACE BRICK CLEANING RAKE [72] Inventor: Lloyd P. Miller, 201 Pleasant Street, Middlebury, Ind. 46540 22 Filed: on. 9, 1970 [2] App]. No.: 79,443

[52] US. Cl ..15/235.3 [51] Int. Cl. ..E04f2l/l7 [58] Field otSearch ..l5/235.3, 105.5; 94/45; 30/ 169-1 71 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,237,235 3/1966 Moody 15/2353 [451 May 16, 1972 Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Att0rneyBerman, Davidson and Herman [5 7] ABSTRACT A rake for cleaning brick joints consisting of a tubular crossbar attached to a handle nonperpendicularly thereto so that the ends of the crossbar are offset relative to each other. Rollers are joumaled to the ends of the crossbar at a spacing equal to twice the distance between brick joints, the rollers being parallel to the handle. A depending raking member is adjustably clamped to the midportion of the crossbar so as to engage in a brick joint while the rollers ride in the two outwardly adjacent parallel brick joints.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAY 16 I972 3,662,423

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ATTORNEYS.

ROCK FACE BRICK CLEANING RAKE This invention relates to brick joint raking tools, and more particularly to a brick joint raking tool of the type wherein the tool is guided by the two brick joints outwardly adjacent to one being raked.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved brick joint raking tool which is simple in construction, which is easy to manipulate, and which provides a dependable guiding action.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rake for cleaning brick joints, the rake involving inexpensive components, being sturdy in construction, being light in weight, and being adjustable to accommodate various sizes of bricks as well as various types of brick joints to be raked.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in cross-section, of an improved joint raking device according to the present invention, shown engaged against a fragmentary portion of a brick wall, illustrated in dotted view, and demonstrating one manner of use of the joint raking device.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating another method of use of the joint raking device, namely, employed to clear vertical joints between adjacent bricks.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved brick joint raking tool constructed in accordance with the present invention. The tool 11 comprises a tubular crossbaror sleeve member 12 to the center portion of which is rigidly connected, as by welding, a handle 13. As is clearly shown in FIG. 1, the handle 13 is connected to the sleeve 12 so that it is nonperpendicular thereto, namely, so that the opposite ends of the sleeve are offset relative to each other. Thus, the axis of the sleeve 12 may be at an angle of between 50 and 80 to the axis of the handle 13.

The sleeve 12 and the handle 13 may be formed from ordinary pipe or metal tubing.

The sleeve 12 is provided at its mid-point with a clamping set screw 14 adapted to clampingly engage the shank portion of a nail 15 which is engaged through diametrically opposite apertures 16 formed in the mid-portion of sleeve 12, whereby the nail 15 may be clamped with its head portion 17 located at a point corresponding to the desired depth of brick joint to be raked, as will be presently described.

The tubular sleeve 12 is provided at its opposite ends with further clamping set screws 18, 18 which clampingly engage respective square shanks 19, 19 which are telescopically received in the sleeve 12 and which are provided at their outer ends with cylindrical journaled shaft portions 20, 20 angled so as to be perpendicular to the vertical axial plane of the handle 13. Thus, the stud shaft portions 20 make an angle of between l and 20, in the specific design herein illustrated, with the axis of the sleeve 12. The threaded holes 21 receiving the set screws 18 are thus suitably located so that the set screws 18 engage flat sides of the square bars 19 to lock the bars in positions wherein the cylindrical shaft elements 20 are parallel but are longitudinally offset with respect to each other, as is clearly shown in FIG. 1.

Joumaled on the shaft elements 20, 20 are respective rubber-tired rollers 22, 22, the rollers bearing against collars 23 at their inner sides and being retained on the shafts 20 by washers 24 held by cotter pins 25, as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rollers 22, 22 can be adjusted so that the spacing therebetween is twice the distance between horizontal brick joints 26, 26, whereby the tool may be employed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1, namely, with the rollers 22, 22 engaged in brick joints oppositely adjacent to an intervening brick joint 26 to be raked. Thus, the rollers 22, 22 are guided by said oppositely adjacent brick joints 26 while the intervening brick joint is being raked by moving the implement along the joint to be raked with the head 17 of the raking nail 15 engaged in the joint in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. It will be noted that the rubber-tired rollers 22, 22 have rounded peripheries so that they will roll against the straight edges of the bricks associated with the roller positions rather than engaging the mortar in the joints. Thus, the rollers 22 not only have rounded peripheries but also are somewhat wider than the brick joints, so that the roller tires engage the brick edges rather than the mortar therebetween.

Thus, with the nail 15 adjusted to provide a proper raking depth and with the rollers 22, 22 spaced apart by the distance between three joints, the tool may be used to rake out joints intervening between courses of brick in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. This provides a means for clearing out the joints as well as insuring that they will be of uniform depth.

Referring to FIG. 3, the tool may be employed for raking out vertical joints, employing the rollers 22 in the manner shown. Thus, since the rollers are offset, the tool may be employed vertically with the rollers engaged against the bricks. The offset of the rollers is approximately equal to one-half the width of a brick, so that at least one roller will be at all times positively engaged against an outer brick surface when the tool is moved vertically, for example, from one end of a vertical brick joint to the other and so that both rollers will never simultaneously transversely engage in a joint. In the position shown in FIG. 3, the right roller 22 is traversing a joint, whereas the left roller 22 is engaged against the mid-portion of the vertical surface of a brick. Thus, the left roller 22 in FIG. 3 is located at a distance ahead of the right roller 22 approximately equal to one-half the height of a brick. The roller 22 will roll vertically over the bricks at opposite sides of the vertical joint in a manner to provide uniform raking action for all the vertical joints. In performing the vertical raking action, the handle 13 is held firmly and the wheels 22 are pressed against the bricks on opposite sides of the vertical joint to be raked as the tool is moved vertically to perform the vertical raking action.

The implement above described is especially useful in raking joints between rock-faced bricks, which present relatively rough exterior surfaces. However, it will be noted that when the rollers 22, 22 are adjusted to the correct spacing therebetween corresponding to twice the distance between horizontal brick joints, the rollers will be offset longitudinally relative to each other by the proper amount corresponding to one-half the height of a brick, for providing proper vertical raking action such as that illustrated in FIG. 3.

While a specific embodiment of an improved brick joint raking device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A brick joint rake device comprising a cross member pro vided with a handle secured to its intermediate portion, a depending raking element secured to the intermediate portion of the cross member, and respective supporting wheels journalled on the ends of said cross member spaced to engage in their respective brick joints oppositely adjacent a joint to be raked, wherein said wheels are parallel to said handle and are longitudinally offset with respect to each other sufficiently so that both supporting wheels can never simultaneously transversely engage in a brick joint when the handle is substantially perpendicular to the joint.

2. The brick joint rake device of claim 1, and wherein said handle is nonperpendicular to said cross member.

3. The brick joint rake device of claim 2, and wherein said cross member has tubular end portions, and shaft elements with shank portions received in said tubular end portions, said supporting wheels being joumaled on said shaft elements.

4. The brick joint rake device of claim 3, and wherein said tubular end portions are provided with clamping screws for securing said shank portions in adjusted positions in said tubular end portions.

8. The brick joint rake device of claim 7, and wherein the angle of nonperpendicularity of said handle with respect to said cross member is between 10 and 40.

9. The brick joint rake device of claim 8, and wherein said cross member comprises a length of metal tubing with diametrically opposite holes at its mid-portion receiving said raking element, said portion being provided with a clamping screw engaging said raking element. 

1. A brick joint rake device comprising a cross member provided with a handle secured to its intermediate portion, a depending raking element secured to the intermediate portion of the cross member, and respective supporting wheels journalled on the ends of said cross member spaced to engage in their respective brick joints oppositely adjacent a joint to be raked, wherein said wheels are parallel to said handle and are longitudinally offset with respect to each other sufficiently so that both supporting wheels can never simultaneously transversely engage in a brick joint when the handle is substantially perpendicular to the joint.
 2. The brick joint rake device of claim 1, and wherein said handle is nonperpendicular to said cross member.
 3. The brick joint rake device of claim 2, and wherein said cross member has tubular end portions, and shaft elements with shank portions received in said tubular end portions, said supporting wheels being journaled on said shaft elements.
 4. The brick joint rake device of claim 3, and wherein said tubular end portions are provided with clamping screws for securing said shank portions in adjusted positions in said tubular end portions.
 5. The brick joint rake device of claim 4, and wherein said shank portions are of square cross-sectional shape.
 6. The brick joint rake device of claim 5, and wherein said shaft elements include cylindrical stud portions on which the wheels are rotatably mounted, said stud portions being angled relative to said shank portions by an angle substantially equal to the angle of nonperpendicularity of said handle with respect to said cross member.
 7. The brick joint rake device of claim 6, and wherein the wheels are provided with resilient deformable tread portions.
 8. The brick joint rake device of claim 7, and wherein the angle of nonperpendicularity of said handle with respect to said cross member is between 10* and 40*.
 9. The brick joint rake device of claim 8, and wherein said cross member comprises a length of metal tubing with diametrically opposite holes at its mid-portion receiving said raking element, said portion being provided with a clamping screw engaging said raking element. 